


Unyielding

by orphan_account



Category: Captain Marvel (2019), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, BAMF Brunnhilde | Valkyrie (Marvel), BAMF Carol Danvers, Eventual violence, F/F, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, You've been warned, fair warning, god idk where to start with tags, like everything?, once again, this will be inaccurate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-04-23 20:09:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19158115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The Dual Kingdoms are breaking apart, and the queen knows it. So when a stranger with horrible memory loss and a rare affinity for combat magic appears in front of her, there's not a lot she can do to resist capturing her for their cause. But what begins with a tentative and honestly unbinding oath of fealty leads to a friendship.Then, to something more.But the queen could never anticipate what would stand in the way of what she wants, both for her kingdom and the loyal knight at her side.(Note, I'm very bad at summaries and this is not an accurate depiction of my writing ability! Sorry!)





	Unyielding

**Author's Note:**

> So, umm..
> 
> I wrote this in like 2 hours and only re-read it about once before posting so it's probably strongly bad, but we'll see.
> 
> Please leave kudos and a comment if you enjoy, and hopefully, I'll be back to writing some sword lesbians sooner rather than later. 
> 
> (Carol and Val are the sword lesbians.)
> 
> (If you didn't know.)

The queen sat before her, more beautiful than the shining face of the moon.

 

The queen sat before her, more radiant and powerful than the sun.

 

The queen sat languidly before her, hair plaited gracefully, clad from head to toe in silk and battle armor. She was unlike anyone Carol had ever seen, and even in the gilded hall of the castle, her eyes were immediately drawn to her. 

  
Carol twisted her right hand and placed it above her heart, bowing slightly. It was the way she had been taught to show deference to her superiors.

 

“What’s your name.” It really wasn’t a question. It was a command. Her voice was seemed bored, but Carol could see the spark of interest in her eyes. A light accent colored her words, and although Carol couldn’t quite tell what type it was, she had a feeling it was the product of her lavish upbringing.

 

“Carol Danvers.” She responded, not adding any honorifics while addressing the queen, although she knew she should.

 

“You’re a threat to my kingdom, Carol Danvers.”

 

She nodded in response. The brute-force-supernova magic that pulsed through her veins like a disease was what made her a threat, though Carol personally liked to believe her mind for strategy, perseverance, and ambition were also dangerous. 

 

“I could kill you.” The queen said softly, almost as a question. She seemed to be deciding whether or not it was in her interest. Carol knew it was good that she wasn’t sentenced to death yet, because she knew she could be useful to the queen.

 

“But I won’t.” She added after a minute. “You can be useful to me.” One of the advisors who stood behind the queen made an exasperated noise and opened his mouth to speak, but the queen cut him off with a small gesture of her hand.

 

“I won’t kill you, but that comes with a cost. You will let my magicians examine your mind for traces of violence, and then you will pledge your loyalty to me. You’re a mystery, Carol Danvers. No one knows where you came from or what you’re capable of. I’d like to know what you’re capable of.” She looked proud of herself. Carol didn’t blame her. From the little she knew about her own past, she knew that she was a powerful weapon, so she could be a potent ally or deadly enemy. 

 

As the mind-breaker-telepaths approached her, she felt a bolt of fear go down her spine. What did she have to hide? She couldn’t remember. Maybe they would discover that she was really an emissary for their enemies, and they would kill her. And more importantly, what would swearing fealty to the queen entail? Would she be subjugated into her service until she passed into the void, or would she have the freedom to live as herself, as long as she didn’t hurt the queen or the country? 

 

One of the two mages approached her, even closer now, and placed her pointer finger on Carol’s forehead and thumb on her temple. Nothing happened for a few seconds, then suddenly a painful force lanced through her mind. It was numbing and relentless, slowly battering away at her senses until all she could feel or sense was the pain racking her mind in steady, electric waves. She felt her identity slowly ebbing away as it continued for what may have been seconds or years for all she knew.

 

It didn’t hurt that bad last time someone inspected her mind.

 

Carol didn’t remember the last time someone inspected her mind, per se, but she knew instinctively that this wasn’t right.

 

Suddenly, the pain disappeared. As her vision slowly restored, she noticed that she was on her knees, teeth gritted. She knew she was stronger than this. If pain could bring her to her knees, then she was just as susceptible as a normal human. Her magic was worthless at that moment, and she hated herself a little for it. 

 

The court of nobility was silent, but most of them overtly stared at her. Only then did she notice the mage that had inspected her mind. She was on the ground as well, convulsing and sweating. The other magician, a short man with a bald head and salt and pepper goatee, grimaced. She could tell that he was attempting to siphon off some of the pain of his compatriot, but it didn’t seem to be accomplishing anything.

 

“What, in the name of all that’s good in the world, is  _ happening _ ?” The queen hissed, eyes alight with anger and something else that Carol couldn’t name. Gods, she was beautiful angry.

 

The salt-and-pepper-goatee man turned to his queen, shuddering a bit.

 

“My lady… Her mind is defended like none we’ve seen before. We can’t get through.” Carol examined her own mind, searching for the barriers that he insisted were there. All she felt was the aftershocks of their attack on her brain.

 

“Well then,” The queen practically spit those words, “I guess an oath will have to be enough.” 

 

She stood and sauntered down from the raised dais on which her throne resided. As she got closer, Carol could see the scars marking intricate patterns across her face. She didn’t know if they were from a ritual or for beauty’s sake, or they were won in the heat of battle, but she did know that the ferocious beauty they gave the queen was ineffable.

 

The queen stood just a foot or two from Carol now, eyes hard and lips pressed together in a straight line. Despite Carol’s power and the danger she posed to the queen, there was no hint of fear in her eyes or bearing, only the raw power that came with a position of command and, more importantly, respect.

 

“Do you, Carol Danvers, daughter of none, pledge your loyalty to me, my kingdom, my successors, and to upholding the peace we bled for?” Although it was phrased as a question, she knew it wasn’t a question.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Do you, Carol Danvers, accept your position as guardian and warrior to me and all of my subjects?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Do you, Carol Danvers, swear that no resentment, trickery, or lies remain in your heart or mind as you make these claims?”

 

“Yes.”

 

With the last oath, the queen gave a satisfied smile. Those ‘yesses’ weren’t exactly binding, but even with all her power, the queen knew Carol could never best her army alone.

 

“Then I, Queen Valkyrie of the Dual Kingdoms, grant you access into my halls and havens with an open heart. Please, make yourself at home as an ally of myself and all of my allies.” Carol didn’t know where to go from there. She didn’t know if she should leave escorted by the soldiers who had brought her inside the throne room, or maybe stay and take her place among the court’s nobility. But she (and everyone else) knew that she really wasn’t nobility.

 

Before she had to make a decision, the queen (Valkyrie, Carol should really refer to her as Valkyrie now that she was sure she knew her name) gently grabbed her arm and turned her around. She released her as quickly as she had touched her, but the signal was clear. “Follow me”, it screamed.

 

As Valkyrie walked out of the gilded chamber, Carol close behind, she waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. This meant not only that the members of the court were allowed to leave as well, but that she was asking her multitude of guards not to accompany them. Carol, not for the first time, wondered where they were going. Now that she had sworn her oaths, she hoped it wouldn’t be to prison, but she knew better than to presume anything from the queen. That much had been shown already.

 

“Now we can talk freely. Or at least, as freely as we can get in this godforsaken castle.” Carol was caught by surprise when Valkyrie spoke. 

 

“About?” She responded tentatively.

 

“I need you. Our situation among the other kingdoms is far more… precarious than I’ve admitted to the commoners. Some are beginning to catch on. And I need your help to maintain the peace. You can turn me down, I suppose, because the oaths you took weren’t of a magical nature, but I will kill you. Have no question about that. I’d like you to become a soldier for me. Not a normal one, of course. But please, consider my request at least.”

 

A moment passed, then another. Carol was surprised at the queen’s request. She never thought she would be a sought-after soldier, despite her blazing-sun-energy magic. But she couldn’t remember enough of her life to know if she had been sought after before, she reasoned.

 

She could practically sense Valkyrie’s anticipation of her answer. It would be yes, of course.

 

“Yes.” 

 

Both women let out a sigh of relief as the word reverberated through the vaulted hallway where they spoke. Valkyrie nodded and continued walking.

 

“I can’t immediately promote you to general or anything because I know nothing of your skills and strategies. But, that said, I would like you to be close at hand when I need you. So I suppose you’re a bit outside the system of military ranking. I’d like to trust you. We’ll see if I can, I suppose.”

 

Carol nodded, and silence took the place of their conversation as they continued down the halls. She knew that even with her (hopefully) intact memory, she probably always get lost in these halls. Just as she was about to question the size of the building, Valkyrie turned and pushed open a door, revealing a lavishly furnished room.

 

“It’s not particularly nice, but I hope you can make yourself at home here. I will have someone bring you a few changes of clothing and armor. Please, always remain formal and clean while in my presence, or at least while in my court. I will have someone fetch you in the morning when I need you.”

 

Carol nodded and walked into the room, closing the gigantic door behind her. The room was vast and extravagant according to Carol’s standards. The walls were made out of dark wood and reached probably twelve or more feet up. A large window on the wall across from the door was draped in cerulean fabric to maintain modesty and keep the light out. A dresser and desk were nestled in the corner, made from the same dark wood that the room appeared to be constructed out of. Red, gold, navy, and cyan tapestries and carpets covered the walls and floor. She felt the overwhelming urge to remove her shoes in order to preserve the pristine nature of her room. 

 

A small door stood to her left, and upon further inspection, she discovered that it led to a nice bathroom. 

 

However, out of all the commodities her room provided, Carol had to admit that her favorite was the behemoth of a bookshelf the resided across from her bed. As well as fighting (and winning, of course), she loved reading and learning in all capacities. She knew that when she spent time in the room it would often be reading.

 

After a few more minutes elapsed, a meek knock on the door signaled someone else’s presence. Carol opened the door to reveal a young woman, maybe seventeen, holding a pile of clothes almost as tall as she was. It was a comical sight.

 

When the clothes were arrayed and the young woman had left, Carol inspected what she had been brought. A few tunics and pants for sparring and casual occasions, both light and heavy armor, and a stunning blood red dress were the most prominent pieces in the pile. She couldn’t help but think about someone, for the sake of her imagination, Valkyrie, looking at her long enough to correctly size her and choose colors to accentuate her features.

 

Despite trying to shake them, thoughts of Valkyrie kept returning to Carol’s head. She was beautiful, strong, and most importantly, fierce and ambitious almost to the same extent as Carol was. 

 

She thought of her scars, her rough armor that had most definitely seen a battle or two, and her striking eyes boring into Carol as she pledged herself to her. 

 

This strange kingdom that she had somehow made her way into (and it’s monarch), however, was the least of her concerns.

 

She couldn’t remember anything from before a few days, or maybe weeks, ago. She had ideas of her past, of course, but it wasn’t anything tangible. Memories ran from her grasp like shadows from a flame, and although she preferred not to admit it, she was scared. What could have left her so traumatized that she could no longer remember her past?

 

Despite the pressing issues that plagued her mind, Carol found her thoughts returning to Valkyrie again and again and again. She ready for her summons to the court tomorrow.

 

She was excited. 


End file.
